MINA

Makkah to Mina

Makkah to Mina is 8km and walking time is about one hour.  Part of the walk is through mountain tunnels, (which have blower-extractor fans), and part of the walk is under massive shed structures.

A] "Pedal" (Walking") Hujjaajj

1) Requirements

a.    Small to medium sized school satchel, ("back pack"), with shoulder straps.  This can be used as hand

         luggage from your hometown.

b.     Lightweight bedding e.g. sleeping bag, though not necessary, as even “Hajji Mat” will suffice.  These mats

         are available in Saudi Arabia.

c.     Vaseline, medium-sized bottle, non-perfumed, for prevention of chaffing of the inner aspects of the

         thighs, especially of the males.

d.    Tissue roll.

e.    Drinking flask, thermos type, with shoulder strap, bought in Saudi Arabia.

f.     Light colored, (preferably white), collapsible umbrella, bought in Saudi Arabia.

g.    Two used, unsewn bed sheets, single bed size, brought from home country.  These can be useful either as

        Ihraam, (in an emergency), or for covering oneself when resting in Mina/Arafat/Muzdalifah, or for

        screening purposes in the tents.

h.    Hand-held garden water-spray bottle, (usually used by barbers as well), bought in Saudi Arabia.  Useful for

        cooling one-self whilst walking.

i.     Dry foodstuff brought from home country although franchised take-aways present  in Mina.

j.     Money, (about 150 Riyals), for personal expenses plus money for Qurbaani, (about 400 Riyals per share),

        if pre-arrangement with the Al-Rahji Banking Corporation or Islamic Development Bank has not been

        made. 

k.    Small cloth purse-bag for carrying pebbles.

l.     Use comfortable walking gear in Ihraam.  Note that rubber pata-pata, (tropicals), or surf sandals, (beach

        thongs), are ideal as far as Ihraam is concerned but may not be ideal for walking long distances as we are

        not used to do so.  Therefore shop around for comfortable footwear in your hometown.  Tie an elastic band

        on the walking gear so that the elastic band goes round your ankles.  This will prevent the slippers from

        getting “snatched away” from your feet in the crowds.

m.   Thermal blanket or thick shawl for use in Muzdalifah as it can be quite cold at night here since it is winter

        currently at the time of Hajj.

n.    Black marker for general use.

o.    Hotel card with attached photo, room number, passport number and Saudi identity card number.

p.    It is advisable to leave other documents, (e.g. tickets and excess money), at your hotel, either in the

        safety deposit box or in your lockable luggage.

q.    Small Qur'aan, (pocket size), and a lightweight thin Mussallah - the latter bought in Saudi Arabia.

r.    Hajj rites Kitaab - pocket size.

s.    Small bathing towel, bathing soap, (non-scented), soap dish, toothbrush and small sized toothpaste.

t.    One set of ordinary clothes.

u.    One extra pair of walking gear in case of loss of the first pair.

v.   Enough personal medication for the six days of Hajj.  Hypertensives, asthmatics and diabetics should

       ensure that they pack extra medication and give the same to a fellow Haajee for safe-keeping in case they

       should misplace their own.

w.   Sunglasses or dark glasses for protection against the glare of the sun and/or against the reflection from

        the white marble.

x.    Collapsible cup for drinking purposes.

y.    Collapsible stool for sitting if you have a back or joint problem and are unable to sit for long on the floor.

Note that ladies should pack their items in their own back packs as it may be awkward for them to go to the men's tents in Mina and Arafat to get their requisites.

All the above mentioned items are to be carried by you from Makkah to Mina (5km), Mina to Arafat (10km), Arafat to Muzdalifah (5km), Muzdalifah to Mina (5km),  and back from Mina to Makkah (5km).

2) Procedure for Pedal Hujjaajj

Familiarisation

Acquaint yourself with the area around your camp in Mina when you arrive there.  Identify some distinguishing landmarks for easy location of your camp in case you get disorientated, or for easy accessibility on your return from Muzdalifah on the 10^th of Zil Hajj.  Ideally, the Muassassas office is supposed to display  colour-coded billboards prominently at the entrance of each of their camps for easy identification.

The streets and camps are numbered so try and memorise these in case of getting lost.

There is a mortuary next to the mosque in Mina.  If someone in your group is missing for a log time then this is one place to try to locate him.

Overhead Bridges

There are three overhead bridges in Mina; two are for vehicles and one for pedestrians only.

a.    King Khalid Bridge which is the closest to the Jamaraat, and near the Al-Maalim Mosque.  This bridge is for         vehicles only.

b.    King Abdul Aziz Bridge which is closer to Muzdalifah and near Mina Mosque.  This bridge is also for vehicles         only.

c.     The pedestrian-only Jamaraat Bridge which is near the Al-Bayah Mosque.

In Mina

During your stay in Mina avoid joining discussion groups because these invariably tend to be discussing worldly affairs rather than Deeni affairs.

If you have a choice, do not choose a tent near the toilets or any cooking area or near the entrances as these spots are always busy.  Try and select a tent near the middle or at the rear of the camp.

If you are in a big tent in Mina then choose a sleeping area closer to the rear and away from the Qiblah so that your "spot" is not in the front line but the back row for Salaat.  The front and middle areas are normally used for eating, Salaat and lectures.

Ensure that you visit the ablution/toilet block at least half an hour to one hour before Salaat times, as these facilities can be quite congested.  Endeavor to keep your Wudhu henceforth.

Rely mainly on fresh fruits, drinks, juices, tea, biscuits, cakes, cucumber, dry foods, yogurt and ice-cream during your stay in Mina although franchised take-aways are now operating in this area.

Al Azizya shopping center is nearby and has got good restaurants and one could go there for one decent meal per day but too much time is taken up.  This place could be reached either by taxi or on foot.

Demarcate your sleeping area on the “floor” of the tent with a marker, for easy identification on your return on 10th Zil Hajj.  This floor is a thick carpet laid on sand and the tents themselves are air-cooled/conditioned, fireproof structures made of fibreglass.

Do not venture to go to Masjid-e-Khaif, unless you are absolutely positive of the route, as you can easily get lost.

Mina boundary demarcated by huge, colour-coded billboards although area not geometrically symmetrical.  These boards are turquoise in colour.

B] Non-Pedal Hujjaajj

1) Requirements

Will carry all the items as for Pedal Hujjaajj except for items “c”, “f”, “h” and “u”, although there is no harm in carrying them.

2) Procedure

The transfer to Mina from Makkah on 7th Zul Hajj will depend entirely on how soon the coach is released to the operator by the authorities and how the traffic situation is. The coach is not released until midnight of 7^th of Zil Hajj and it could be at your hotel in either half an hour or six hours later. Once you have boarded the bus and the bus leaves, the traveling may well take between one and five hours because of the traffic gridlock.

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